Gangsters Loot the Tent

The story begins long before you get to the tent. Check out this teaser for Gangsters of Love playing at Teatro ZinZanni in Seattle through September 30.

It is finally here!  Gangsters of Love opened June 14th to a full house of adoring fans and freshly minted converts. For this spectacular spectacular, the tent sends you back in time to 1932. America is deep in the depression. Bread lines, unemployment and homelessness are rife. Prohibition, which made the sale and distribution of liquor illegal, has been the law of the land for 13 years. Why on earth did we send you back here, you might be asking yourself?

Oh right, because it is also the age of jazz, Art Deco, and glamor! This show has everything, and we mean everything: Three aerial acts, gangsters, tap dancing, King Kong, Chef Caesar, gambling, socks, cement boots, moxie, jazz, Francine Reed, and so much more. Gangsters of Love features comedian Frank Ferrante, aerialist Dreya Weber, blues vocal powerhouse Francine Reed, Duo Madrona (Ben Wendel and Rachel Nehmer) on trapeze, funnyman Joe DePaul, comic acrobat Andrea Conway Doba, vaudevillian Wayne Doba and juggler rola bola extraordinaire Bernard Hazen. This much talent in one tent is probably illegal, so don’t tell the fuzz!

Chef Erik Carlson has simply outdone himself with his newest five-course extravaganza of flavor. Think we are being biased? Check out the menu! Seriously, he is serving Blue Nose Bass en Parchment with lemon, Mascarpone and fresh herbs, served with garlic saffron rice, broccolini almandine and carrots. We dream in cheesecake! You will not be disappointed.

25 Things You Didn’t Know About Joel Salom

Australian juggling sensation, Joel Salom, appears in Hail Caesar!, Teatro ZinZanni’s current production. In the show, he plays Mick, a maitre d’ looking to make a good impression, as well as controlling his satiric creation, Erik the Dog. He excites audiences with his hilarious juggling routines while intriguing them with unique rhythmic juggling acts. Whether you’ve seen him onstage or had him teach you a juggling lesson or two, here are a few things you may not know about Joel:

1.    I would describe myself as a tall, lanky, funny fella who loves his family and is addicted to juggling shaker balls.

2.    I grew up in Western Australia on a dairy farm.

3.    My family is my favorite thing. My six-year-old son is gregarious and charismatic,  my three-month-old daughter is gorgeous and sleeps, and my wife is my everything: down to earth, practical, beautiful and very honest.

4.    The last movie I saw was Winnie the Pooh; my son came along, too.

5.    I think patience is one of my greatest strengths.

6.    I can’t have a pet; I travel too much.

7.    I’m secretly obsessed with plucking nose hairs.

8.    Something crazy I’ve done is supporting my family by being a freelance comedy juggler! Somehow, it seems to be working very well.

9.   My favorite spot in Seattle could be anywhere as long as I am with my daughter.

10. A good day is a beach day.

11. My life philosophies are: “No hurries, no worries”, “Do what you like and do what you’re good at” and “If you’re going through sh*t, just keep going”.

12. My first job was stilt walking in our local shopping center.

13. My hidden talent is flying trapeze.

14. A memorable Teatro ZinZanni moment was when my then three-year old son walked into the tent during the show, without his pants!  I was doing a scene on stage, he’d wet his pants and needed help (My wife was baby-sitting another performer’s baby).  I gestured for him to go back stage. He waved back. Eventually, he got the idea and, with slumped shoulders he walked back stage. His little, naked butt was the last image – hilariously cute.

15. I cannot resist buying licorice.

16. I’d like to visit India.

17. I love Seattle. The people are so friendly and supportive, the city is easy to navigate, and the festivals at Seattle Center are so much fun.

18. The last book I read was Mind Sight.

19. A song I wrote for my daughter is one of my favorite songs.

20. I aspire to be a patient father, supportive husband, and remember how fortunate I am in so many ways.

21. My drink of choice is strong coffee.

22. If I could be any animal, I’d be a dung beetle. I reckon I’m pretty good at pushing sh*t up a hill. I am a juggler…

23. I’m slightly embarrassed to say that I only speak English.

24. My favorite places to travel are Thailand, Vanuatu, Singapore, and Indonesia.

25. I decided on my profession by accident.

Hail Caesar! ends soon, so hurry in to see Joel and the rest of our talented cast!

Teatro ZinZanni For Free?!

Win one of 30 pairs of tickets to see our show by checking out the Honest Tea display at your Seattle-area QFC to get the special text code to win. Treat yourself and a friend, spouse, partner, favorite aunt, whomever, to a night of fun, fantastical feasting and amazing acrobatics. Is your neighborhood store not participating? Enter online here for your chance to win.

Honest Tea disply at the Meridian QFC.

Special Screening of “The Gymnast” starring Dreya Weber

Teatro ZinZanni’s own Dreya Weber (“Cleopatra” in Hail Caesar!) has arranged for a special screening of her award-winning feature The Gymnast in our spiegeltent on Monday, August 8 at 6:30. Dreya produced and starred in the film called “fresh and vibrant” by Leonard Maltin and “a rare gem of a film” by The San Francisco Times.

After the movie, stick around for a Q&A with Dreya.

More information and tickets here: http://dreams.zinzanni.org/thegymnast

Winner of 28 festival awards including Best Feature at Outfest, The Gymnast is the story of the talented Jane Hawkins (Dreya Weber) who was an impressive gymnast at the top of her game until a devastating injury ended her career. Now she pours the passion, strength and discipline that once fueled her sport into maintaining both a tedious job as a massage therapist and a loveless marriage. A chance meeting sets Jane on a new path: performing an aerial act with a mysterious and beautiful dancer named Serena (former LA Laker cheerleader Addie Yungmee). Each of them are illuminated by the presence of the other, but there are distractions. Jane is distressed by her lack of children while Serena is a closeted lesbian who tackles stereotypes with being an adopted Korean daughter of Jewish parents. As the stunning pair prepares to audition their act for a Las Vegas show, the gravitational pull between the two women becomes increasingly unavoidable… A visually compelling film that challenges notions of both ability and identity, THE GYMNAST is foremost a story about hope and taking the necessary risks to fully become yourself.

Juggling Master Class with Joel Salom

We’ve just announced that our ZinZanni Institute for Circus Arts will be holding a juggling master class with Hail Caesar‘s juggling comic Joel Salom. In this class he explores the relationship between music and juggling with this hands-on workshop geared for adult jugglers, serious and otherwise. Experience with juggling three balls is a prerequisite.

• Date: Monday, August 8, 2011, 6:30 P.M.
• Ages: 18+
• Price: $50
• Location: Teatro ZinZanni’s Seattle Spiegeltent, 222 Mercer Street, Seattle, WA 98109
• Reserve your spot here. Capacity: 30.

The video below contains a quick glimpse at some of the techniques Joel will cover in the class.

Bernard Hazen

Bernard Hazen appears in Teatro ZinZanni’s Hail Caesar!, opening May 12th and running through August 28th, 2011 in the magical Seattle spiegeltent.

Bernard has been thrilling and amazing crowds for the past four years with his one of a kind act, a dynamically choreographed combination of acrobatics, juggling, and Rola Bola. Since his debut with Cirque du Domain in 2004, his career has taken him to many destinations around the world from South Korea, Europe, Israel, and to the United States. Bernard made his first Teatro ZinZanni appearance in 2005. Since then, he has appeared in NBA halftime shows and was nominated for the Best Halftime Show for 2007. He then went onto Germany’s variety and dinner show circuit in the winter of 2007 for Roncalli’s Bajazzo in Cologne. In 2008 Bernard returned to his home country of Israel for a short cameo in the national tour of the Cirque du Soleil-influenced Circus Dorolla. This past winter Bernard returned to Germany for Roncalli’s Panem et Circenses in Essen. He has also appeared on television numerous times. He competed onRising Star, Israel’s version of America’s talent show The Next Big Thing in 2007. In September 2008 Bernard appeared on the decade-old widely-acclaimed TV show Le Plus Grande Cabaret hosted by Patrick Sebastian in Paris.

The Young Evils

Mezzo Lunatico is May 28th and a whole new cast of talent is rolling through the spiegeltent. Joining host Mark Pickerel is Troy Nelson and Mackenzie Mercer of The Young Evils.

Troy Nelson and Mackenzie Mercer of “The Young Evils"

“Guitarist/drummer Troy Nelson and girlfriend Mackenzie Mercer (vocals/tambourine), traffic in some of the city’s sweetest pop-rock confections. And, according to Seattle Weekly “man, are they a cute couple. You’re going to love to hate them—or, more likely, love them like you do kittens. They are awww-some. Perhaps their golden chemistry derives from their two vastly different backgrounds. Local girl Mercer grew up backstage at Pearl Jam concerts; Nelson came from Mitchell, South Dakota, where Def Leppard and Bon Jovi represented high culture. Mercer was weaned on ’70s punk rock, while Nelson went through intense Metallica and Nirvana phases. Nelson eventually fled South Dakota, attending Florida’s Full Sail audio-engineering school and then moving to New York to work for the prestigious Hit Factory, where he “carried Puff Daddy’s reel-to-reels, bought Ice Cube a Korn CD, avoided eye contact with Michael Jackson, and breathed much secondhand pot smoke.” When Nelson met Mercer at Easy Street Records in the mid ’00s, they instantly clicked.”And it’s fun for me to watch Mackenzie fight off all my groupies,” Nelson counters, as Mercer laughs. “I have a hard time fighting them off myself; I needed help. That’s actually why Mackenzie and I started this relationship. Seriously. Sometimes there’s two at a time. Tough life…”

Catch The Young Evils at Teatro ZinZanni’s Mezzo Lunatico May 28th!

Hail Caesar! Hail ZinZanni!

Hail Caesar's Dreya Weber

Do you think you know the story behind Cleopatra and Caesar, one of history’s most famous and devastating love stories? What if it occurred in another era? Would the story end as tragically? What if one was, say, a chef, instead of a world leader? Would the lovers still meet? Would they still fall in love?

Under the spiegeltent, all these scenarios are possible. Caesar, our wise-cracking chef, must find the elusive Egyptian Love Spice to add to his delicious concoctions. A loyal kitchen worker offers to travel to Egypt to find the exotic spice on Caesar’s behalf. Upon arriving in Egypt, Caesar’s loyal helper turns into Indiana Jones – a juggling Indian Jones. And while these talents help him find the rare Love Spice, it can’t save him from the treachery of the street hustling spice merchant who tricks him into buying the spice – and the ancient crypt it comes in. What our loyal helper doesn’t know is that there is something other than Love Spice in the crypt – there is the resurrected Cleopatra.

When Cleopatra meets Caesar, it is love at first sight. Cleopatra unabashedly pursues her salad loving chef, and she is transformed by her love for him (and several makeup and costume changes). But like all great loves, things don’t exactly go as planned.

Is this the true hidden story of the historical lovers? Does Love Spice really work? Did Caesar really invent the Caesar salad? We don’t know. The only thing we know for sure is that under the tent, anything is possible.

Hail Caesar plays May 12 through August 28 in the magical Seattle spiegeltent! Visit our website for more information and tickets!

Mark Pickerel & His Praying Hands

Teatro ZinZanni’s late night cabaret has a new curator and host, and you may have heard of him… You most likely know Mark Pickerel by now from his impressive output and performance schedule as frontman and singer/songwriter of Mark Pickerel and His Praying Hands who have built one of the strongest reputations in Seattle as one of the most dynamic and musically sophisticated acts in the city … OR maybe you know Pickerel’s name from his most impressive resume as a drummer for acts as diverse as The Screaming Trees, Neko Case, Brandi Carlile, Mark Lanegan, The Dusty 45′s… No? How about his drumming with…  Nirvana? Impressive resume aside, recently what’s turning people’s heads in his direction is his voice, his lyrics and YES, maybe his patented and probably insured HAIR!

Pickerel has been winning audiences over and over again with his deep baritone, striking stage presence and a conviction in his performances that  seem as inspired as a preacher who is down to his congregation’s last dollar with just a day to come up with rent!

Pickerel’s voice has most recently captured the attention of Mike McCready of Pearl Jam and Duff McKagan of Guns and Roses who asked Mark to join them on stage at their recent benefit concerts at The Moore Theater and The Showbox in Seattle where Pickerel’s performances were met with wild enthusiasm, McKagan was so impressed that he gave Pickerel a glowing review in his column in the Seattle Weekly shortly after.

You almost have to wonder if Mark was born with natural reverb in his voice when sounds reminiscent of early Johnny Cash, Neil Diamond or even the occasional vibrato of a heartbroken Roy Orbison come spilling from his body with such ease matched only by conviction! If one closes their eyes while Pickerel’s on stage for long enough (which they probably wouldn’t risk doing for fear of missing out on something magical) but if they did, they might suddenly find themselves transported in to a world where Leonard Cohen had suddenly joined The Doors or where Johnny Cash had suddenly found himself fronting The Clash! Either way, you would be a happy convert in a world where beauty and loss are often juxtaposed with passion, romance, confusion and chaos!

Recently Mark has been at work on new recordings as well as drumming with Lindsay Fuller, The Tripwires, The Young Evils and Carrie Akre and will be hosting, singing and curating Teatro Zinzanni’s monthly midnight series Mezzo Lunatico from May through June of 2011.

Juliana Rambaldi & Victor Benedetti

Teatro ZinZanni soprano, Juliana Rambaldi, returns to the spiegeltent in Hail Caesar!, but this time she’s accompanied by ZinZanni’s newest baritone, and real-life husband, Victor Benedetti. Check them out in Hail Caesar!, opening May 12th and running through August 28th, 2011.

Hailed as a “bright-voiced beacon” by the New Yorker and lauded as “Radiant!” by The New York Times, soprano Juliana Rambaldi has earned international critical acclaim for her many roles with leading opera companies across the United States and abroad. Her performances have included: Lyric Opera of Chicago: Faust, Don Giovanni, La bohème, Orpheus Descending, and View From the Bridge; Glimmerglass Opera: La finta giardiniera; Seattle Opera: Xerxes; Michigan Opera Theater: La Traviata; Opera Pacific: Don Giovanni; Minnesota Opera: Transatlantic; Portland Opera: Giulio Cesare and La bohème; New York City Opera: Le Nozze di Figaro; Opera Theatre of St. Louis: Cosi fan tutte; New Jersey Opera Festival: Falstaff and Don Giovanni; Florentine Opera: Le Nozze di Figaro; Houston Grand Opera:Les Contes d’Hoffmann and La Traviata; Hawaii Opera Theater: La bohème; Toledo Opera: Cosi fan tutte; Opera Grand Rapids: Le Nozze di Figaro; Castres, France: Don Giovanni. Ms. Rambaldi resides in Seattle with her husband and two children.

Victor is known around the country as a performer who combines his vocal gifts with an innate stage presence that enables him to bring characters of all types to life. He made his debut with the New York City Opera in the title role of Don Giovanni, a performance that awarded him NYCO’s Debut Artist of the Year. The New York Times praised him as a “major voice: smooth, sure, and darkly handsome.” His many appearances with City Opera have included the Count in Le Nozze di Figaro, Peter in Hansel und Gretel, Slim in Of Mice and Men, and Escamillo in Carmen – a role that has taken him to both the Singapore Lyric Opera and to his European debut with Oper der Stadt Bonn. With Washington National Opera at the Kennedy Center, he appeared as Nardo in La Finta Giardiniera, Slim in Of Mice and Men, John Proctor in The Crucible, and John Sorel in The Consul. He studied Theater and Music at Northwestern University before joining the Lyric Opera Center for American Artists of Lyric Opera of Chicago. Recent performances include the title role in Falstaff in France, the title role in Wozzeck at the Astoria Music Festival, Scarpia in Tosca with Indianapolis Opera, the title role in Ullmann’s Der Kaiser von Atlantis in Seattle, and Henry in Jake Heggie’s The End of the Affair in Kansas City which was recorded for an upcoming release. Victor is excited to join the cast of Teatro ZinZanni and to share the stage with his real life co-star, Juliana Rambaldi.